[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-42017-en":3,"doc-seo-42017-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":90},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},42017,1374391974468,"Eden","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0",2,"Literature","The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein","Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein by John Nixon recounts Nixon’s role as the first American to conduct a prolonged post-capture interrogation of Saddam Hussein in late 2003 to early 2004. Framed by CIA publication review and redaction notes, the narrative discusses how the United States misunderstood Saddam’s intentions and his fight against radical currents, including Sunni extremism. The work contrasts American attempts to link Saddam to 9/11 and al-Qaeda with Saddam’s view of the U.S.-Iraq relationship and the aftermath of the Iraq invasion.","An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC  \n375 Hudson Street  \nNew York, New York 10014  \nCopyright © 2016 by John Nixon  \nPenguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish  \nbooks for every reader.  \nBlue Rider Press is a registered trademark and its colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data  \nNames: Nixon, John, author.  \nTitle: Debriefing the president : the interrogation of Saddam Hussein / John Nixon.  \nDescription: New York : Blue Rider Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.  \nIdentifiers: LCCN 2016047934 (print) | LCCN 2016048643 (ebook) | ISBN 9780399575815 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN  \n9780399575822 (epub)  \nSubjects: LCSH: Hussein, Saddam, 1937–2006—Imprisonment. | Hussein, Saddam, 1937–2006—Last years. | Nixon, John (Middle  \nEast expert) | Iraq—Politics and government—2003–  \nClassification: LCC DS79.66.H87 N59 2016 (print) | LCC DS79.66.H87 (ebook) | DC 956. 7044/3—dc23 LC record available at [https://lccn.loc.gov/2016047934](https://lccn.loc.gov/2016047934)  \n[p. cm](p. cm).  \nPenguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers;  \nhowever, the story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s alone.  \nThis does not constitute an official release of CIA information. All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or any other U. S. Government agency. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U. S. Government authentication of information or CIA endorsement of the author’s views. This material has been reviewed solely for classification.  \nVersion_1  \nFor my mother, Helen, and my father, Richard  \nMore is thy due than more than all can pay.  \n—Macbeth, act 1, scene 4  \nContents  \nTitle Page Copyright Dedication Author’s Note  \nPROLOGUE: UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1 . “HOLY SHIT , IT’S SADDAM!”  \n2 . “DARE TO BE RIGHT”  \n3 . DESTINATION BAGHDAD  \n4 . WINGING IT  \n5 . GETTING UNDER SADDAM’S FINGERNAILS  \n6 . THE PERSIAN MENACE  \n7 . TURBANS IN POLITICS  \n8 . DEATH TO SHIITES AND ZIONISTS  \n9 . SADDAM BLOWS HIS TOP  \n10 . DEEP DIVE IN THE OVAL OFFICE  \n11 . CROSSWISE WITH THE PRESIDENT  \n12 . IN THE SHADOW OF HIS FATHER  \n13 . THE FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY  \n14 . LEAVING WITH REGRETS  \nEPILOGUE: A HANGING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT  \nAcknowledgments About the Author  \nAs required of all current and former employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, I submitted the manuscript of this book to the CIA’s Publication Review Board. The PRB is charged with ensuring that neither confidential nor classified information is inadvertently revealed. Debriefing the President twice underwent extensive PRB reviews. The result is twofold: the manuscript’s publication, unfortunately, was significantly delayed, and, throughout this book, you will find black bars used to indicate where the CIA’s redactions were applied. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience, and regret that the CIA has censored some material that in no way compromises official secrets.  \nJohn Nixon  \nPrologue  \nUnfinished Business  \nBut the participant has at least one vital contribution to make to the writing of history: He will know which one of the myriad of possible considerations in fact influenced the decisions in which he was involved; he will be aware of which documents reflect the reality as he perceived it; he will be able to recall what views were taken seriously, which were rejected, and the reasoning behind t","cbCaicGU30EJ7Xxu","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicGU30EJ7Xxu","pdf",1072233,3,1,160,"English","en",105,"# Contents\n## Prologue: Unfinished Business\n## Epilogue: A Hanging in the Middle of the Night\n## Acknowledgments\n## About the Author","[{\"question\":\"Who conducted the prolonged interrogation of Saddam Hussein, and when did it occur?\",\"answer\":\"John Nixon conducted the prolonged interrogation after Saddam’s capture by U.S. forces in December 2003 and January 2004. He describes himself as a senior CIA leadership analyst focused on Iraq and Iran.\"},{\"question\":\"What did the book say about what the United States misunderstood regarding Saddam Hussein?\",\"answer\":\"The text states that the United States vastly misunderstood both Saddam and his role as a determined foe of radical currents in the Islamic world, including Sunni extremism.\"},{\"question\":\"How did the book address the claim that Saddam was linked to 9/11 and al-Qaeda?\",\"answer\":\"It notes that American neocons tried to link Saddam to 9/11 and al-Qaeda, while Saddam believed the attacks would bring the United States closer to his Ba’athist regime.\"}]",1783344538,246,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":85,"head_meta":87,"extra_data":89,"updated_unix":28},"the-interrogation-of-saddam-hussein","",{"@graph":36,"@context":84},[37,52,67],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,47,49],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",{"item":48,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/",{"item":50,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-interrogation-of-saddam-hussein/42017/",4,{"url":50,"name":13,"@type":53,"author":54,"headline":13,"publisher":56,"fileFormat":59,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":60,"datePublished":61,"encodingFormat":59,"isAccessibleForFree":62,"interactionStatistic":63},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":55},"Person",{"url":41,"name":57,"@type":58},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-12","2026-07-06",true,{"@type":64,"interactionType":65,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":66},"ViewAction",{"@type":68,"mainEntity":69},"FAQPage",[70,76,80],{"name":71,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":73},"Who conducted the prolonged interrogation of Saddam Hussein, and when did it occur?","Question",{"text":74,"@type":75},"John Nixon conducted the prolonged interrogation after Saddam’s capture by U.S. forces in December 2003 and January 2004. 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